To talk about Lag B'Omer (the thirty third day after Passover) with out talking about Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is ignoring the main point of the festivities of the day. Although all through-out Israel, the evening is marked by the lighting of large bonfires that are visible for miles, the real celebration in Israel of Lag B'Omer, is in the northern Galilee town of Meron. A small town by all measures, on Lag B'Omer, it becomes filled with celebration. An estimated 250,000 to 300.000 people congregate on this normally sleepy mountainside during the 24 hours of Lag B'Omer. What is the reason that in a country of five and a half million Jewish inhabitants, such a large percentage of people make their way, through traffic and police barricades to come to Meron?

The answer is Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (or Rashbi) as he is some times refereed to, died on this day 2287 years ago and was buried in Meron, together with his son Rabbi Eleazer. So what is the festivities? Why the carnival atmosphere? Why the enormous amounts of pilgrims, both religious and not?

To answer this question requires a brief explanation of one of the most unique personalities in Jewish history. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was one of the disciples of Rabbi Akiva. Although Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is mentioned many times in the Talmud, his fame is known because of the Zohar (The Book of Splendor). This is a book which is the basis for most mystical thought in Judaism.

Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai lived during the time of the Romans. When one of his colleagues praised the Romans for building up the Land of Israel, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai slandered them by stating that they did it for themselves and not for the Jews. When word reached the Roman governor, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was forced to flee for his life. He and his son, Rabbi Eleazer, took refuge in a cave. In the cave, he and his son began studying the Torah, a miracle occurred for them, that a Carob tree sprouted and a water spring opened up providing them with sustenance. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son lived in the cave for twelve years, studying by themselves with out interruption and with out going outside.


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